Stuck
by Nette
Summary: Carter and Abby stuck .. ; )


**Rating**: PG  
**Spoilers**: No spoilers if you have seen up to 8.16 - "Secrets and Lies".  
**Summary**: Carter and Abby stuck .. ; )  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything ... ; )  
**Feedback**: I'd love to know what you think! ; )  
**Author's notes**: This is my entry for the "One Can Only Hope" fanfic challenge in August. It's set the day after 8.16 - "Secrets and Lies".  
Thank you Jo for beta reading! ::hugs::  
  
The challenge was:  
- Carter and Abby locked in somewhere at night.  
- The words **book** and **lipstick** have to be mentioned.  
- One of them has to tell the other a secret.  
- 1639 words  
  
**"Stuck"**  
  
"Wait! Please hold it," I hear a voice call after me as I step into the elevator.  
The voice is familiar. And just a moment later Carter joins me.  
I wonder what's expecting me. I didn't see him since the sexual harassment seminar yesterday. I hope things between us won't be weird now.  
  
"Thank you," he says, out of breath, but with a smile.  
I smile back at him. "You're welcome."  
  
We just look at each other for a moment before we remember what we were about to do before we met. "Radiology?" I ask as I reach for the buttons and look at the huge brown envelope in his hands.  
  
He nods. "Yeah, I got Fernando Garcia's wrist scan instead of Fernanda Garzia's leg scan. I guess they're already sleeping down there," he chuckles.  
I laugh. "Well, the night shift isn't fun when there's not much to do. How many patients did we have today? Three or four? It's hard to stay awake then."  
He's laughing, too now. "Yeah, true. Night shifts aren't my favorites either."  
  
Another moment of rather awkward silence passes before he speaks again. The tension makes me nervous. "Did you get home okay last night? After your shift?"  
I nod. "Yep, Gallant brought me here safe and we had a nice and slow shift. You? Got home okay, too? With .. Susan?"  
  
The expression on his face changes. But I'm not sure I can tell what it means. "Yeah, I .. we got home okay," he tells me, not looking into my eyes. "Nothing .." he begins to add but we're interrupted by a sudden halt of the elevator.  
  
"What was that?" I ask, looking at him. But I fear I know already what just happened. "Oh no .. don't tell me we're .."  
"Stuck. Yeah, I fear we are stuck," he confirms my thought before he breaks out laughing. And I can't help but join him.  
"What's so funny?" I ask him between giggles.  
"I don't know, _you_ tell me."  
"I feel like in a movie."  
"Yeah, this doesn't happen in real life, does it?"  
"Well, I guess it does after all." And the timing is far from perfect – like in a movie.  
"And of course the emergency button is out of order. But we're in a hospital .. we're on duty .. they'll miss us soon and get us out of here."  
"Yeah, they will .. they have to."  
  
---  
  
"What time is it?" I ask him, bringing my legs closer to my body. We've moved to the floor and are sitting in opposite corners of the elevator cabin now as standing became difficult after a while.  
  
"Five minutes later than the last time you asked," he tells me with a wink. It almost seems like he finds all that funny – even after hours.  
"I'm not in the mood for joking, Carter. I'm tired and I want to go home .. it's getting hot in here," I tell him with an eye roll, trying to emphasize my words. But I fail miserably when I look at the grin on his face. I can't help but laugh, too. "I mean it, Carter," I bring out between giggles. Why am I not really annoyed with the situation?  
"Okay, it's 2:45 am," he says with a smile and interrupts my thoughts.  
  
I sigh deeply. "That means we're in here for .."  
"More than three hours, yep."  
"How much longer do you think it'll take?"  
He shrugs his shoulders. "I'm sure they'll find us soon."  
I decide not to mention the fact that he said that several times already.  
  
"What now?" I sigh again.  
"What now?"  
"Yeah. We talked about the weather, our patients. What's next?"  
He laughs and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. Do you have anything in mind?"  
  
I think for a moment before I come up with something random. "Since I don't have a book with me, and I guess you either .. tell me a secret.," I suggest, trying to look inquisitive and not flirty.  
"A secret?" he asks, looking as if he never heard that word before.  
"Yeah, a secret. You know, something only you know and nobody else."  
  
"I know what a secret is," he finally says, not looking into my eyes again. What is it with him today? I don't think I said anything wrong. He looks rather amusedly embarrassed than upset. He's just .. different. "But .. I don't have any," he finally answers.  
"Huh? That's not possible. Everyone has a secret."  
"Then tell me yours," he challenges me with a smirk.  
  
That changes my mood immediately. One thing I didn't tell him yet comes into my mind before I can even begin to think. A thing I wanted him to know for a while already. He's my best friend after all. Who if not him should know it? But I couldn't bring myself to tell him yet. I'm scared of his reaction.  
  
"Abby? Did I say something wrong?" he asks me worriedly, looking into my eyes now.  
Now it's _me_ trying to avoid eye contact. I shake my head while I stare at my knees. "No, you didn't. But .. it is .. I'm .. I'm drinking again," I bring finally out as a huge sigh escapes my lungs.  
  
I don't dare to look at him. He must hate me. He must give up hope on me.  
"Since when?" he asks after a moment. And the concern I can hear in his voice moves me. I can feel that he's worried about me, that he wants to help me.  
"I started on my birthday. It was the day Paul Sobricki was back. And my mother was the only person who remembered my birthday .. the whole day just sucked," I say with an attempt to lighten up the situation. But I know I failed when the laugh turns into a little sob and I feel tears running down my face slowly.  
  
He moves over to my side of the room and wraps his arm around my shoulder carefully. I let him and rest my head on his shoulder. I feel protected immediately. I feel like I'm not a lonely hopeless drunk. Without saying anything he gives me hope, lets me know that he's there, that he doesn't hate me. That he understands.  
I'm glad I told him.  
  
"Okay, my turn," he says after a moment of silence.  
His remark brings a smile back to my lips. "Your turn?"  
"Yeah. You know, we were talking about secrets. And you told me yours. Now it's _my_ turn. I'll tell you a secret, too."  
  
I raise my eyebrows. "I thought you don't have one."  
"Well, it's not really a secret. But .. I broke up with Susan."  
  
I lift my head off his chest and give him a curious look. "What? When? Why?" I stammer.  
He laughs. "Last night. And well .. _she_ broke up with _me_, " he admits with an embarrassed smirk. "She said .. she said it wouldn't work. She feels like my sister and not like my girlfriend. Well .. I guess she's right. It didn't work."  
  
As he doesn't really seem sad, I have a hard time to hold back a smile. Why does his _secret_ make feel me so happy?  
  
"That's all?"  
He nods. "And she said .. I should go for the woman I _really_ love," he adds and looks away from me, observing his shoes.  
"Oh .. Yeah, maybe you should," I tell him with a grin.  
  
---  
  
A sudden noise wakes me up. The elevator is moving.  
  
"Carter. Carter!" I try to wake him up.  
Though I wouldn't mind staying like this for longer. We fell asleep at some point. His arm still wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest.  
  
I smile at the sight as he opens his eyes slowly. "What?" he asks sleepily.  
"The elevator is moving. I guess they found us," I tell him as it stops again, the doors open and Susan sticks her head inside.  
  
"Look how cute they are," she says to Jerry, Frank and Malik who join her just a moment after. "Good morning sleepy heads," she adds with a grin.  
  
Carter gets up slowly and helps me up as well. "Finally. You didn't miss us sooner?"  
"Well .. we thought the sudden absence of the two of you was on purpose," she begins with a wink. "And we didn't want to interrupt anything. The ER was slow anyway. But after more than seven hours we thought we should see where you were. And then we noticed that the elevator wasn't working for a while and put two and two together," she informs us as we walk over to the admin desk. "How was it?"  
  
"How was what?" Carter asks her, irritated.  
"Well .. you've been locked in together for hours. How was it?" she asks him with a grin as she takes a step towards him. "What did you do to get lipstick on your shirt?"  
  
I can see Susan's grin get wider as Carter begins to inspect his shirt – his face turning into a bright red. "Where?"  
That makes Susan laugh. "Kidding Carter. Just kidding," she calls after him as he walks off towards the lounge. "Just bite me, Susan."  
  
We both laugh as we know that he's more embarrassed than annoyed.  
  
"So, how was it?" she asks _me_ now with a grin.  
"Nothing happened Susan."  
She rolls her eyes. "I should have known .. Carter never listens," she tells me with a sigh as she walks off to see her patients.  
  
I look after her, wondering if she was talking about the go for the woman you love comment Carter mentioned, before I follow him into the lounge.  
I know I wouldn't mind if that woman was me.  



End file.
